GRAND ISLE, LA, USA
N59504
BELL 206B
THE PILOT WAS APPROACHING AN OFFSHORE PLATFORM FOR LANDING AT ABOUT 100 FT AGL WHEN HE FELT THE HELICOPTER SHUDDER. HE ALSO HEARD AN ENGINE-OUT HORN AND A LOW-ROTOR-RPM WARNING. HE TURNED AWAY FROM THE PLATFORM, POPPED THE EMERGENCY FLOATS AND INITIATED AN AUTOROTATIVE LANDING. HOWEVER, THE FLOATS WERE NOT YET FULLY INFLATED AT THE TIME OF WATER CONTACT AND THE HELICOPTER IMMEDIATELY FLIPPED INVERTED. AN EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE OUTER SHAFT IN THE FREE-WHEELING UNIT HAD FAILED AT THE SPLINE AREA. THIS ALLOWED THE ENGINE TO GO INTO AN OVERSPEED. THEN AUTOMATICALLY SHUT DOWN.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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